Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Basis of Presentation (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation	These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and in accordance with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements contained in this report reflect all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring accruals, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and the results of operations for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ambulatory Services AmSurg Corp. (the “Company”), through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, owns interests, primarily 51%, in limited partnerships (“LPs”) and limited liability companies (“LLCs”) which own and operate ambulatory surgery centers (“ASCs” or “centers”). The Company does not have an ownership interest in a LP or LLC greater than 51% which it does not consolidate. The Company has ownership interests of less than 51% in ten LPs and LLCs, one of which it consolidates as the Company has substantive participation rights and nine of which it does not consolidate as the Company’s rights are limited to protective rights only. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and the consolidated LPs and LLCs. Consolidation of such LPs and LLCs is necessary as the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries have primarily 51% or more of the financial interest of the LPs and LLCs, are the general partner or majority member with all the duties, rights and responsibilities thereof, are responsible for the day-to-day management of the LPs and LLCs, and have control of the entities. The responsibilities of the Company’s noncontrolling partners (LPs and noncontrolling members) are to supervise the delivery of medical services, with their rights being restricted to those that protect their financial interests, such as approval of the acquisition of significant assets or the incurrence of debt which they are generally required to guarantee on a pro rata basis based upon their respective ownership interests. Intercompany profits, transactions and balances have been eliminated. All LPs and LLCs and noncontrolling partners are referred to herein as “partnerships” and “partners”, respectively. Ownership interests in consolidated subsidiaries held by parties other than the Company are identified and generally presented in the consolidated financial statements within the equity section but separate from the Company’s equity. However, for instances in which certain redemption features that are not solely within the control of the Company are present, classification of noncontrolling interests outside of permanent equity is required. Consolidated net income attributable to the Company and to the noncontrolling interests are identified and presented on the consolidated statements of operations; changes in ownership interests are accounted for as equity transactions; and when a subsidiary is deconsolidated, any retained noncontrolling equity investment in the former subsidiary and the gain or loss on the deconsolidation of the subsidiary are measured at fair value. Certain transactions with noncontrolling interests are also classified within financing activities in the statements of cash flows. Center profits and losses of consolidated entities are allocated to the Company’s partners in proportion to their ownership percentages and reflected in the aggregate as net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests. The partners of the Company’s center partnerships typically are organized as general partnerships, LPs or LLCs that are not subject to federal income tax. Each partner shares in the pre-tax earnings of the center in which it is a partner. Accordingly, the earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests in each of the Company’s consolidated partnerships are generally determined on a pre-tax basis, and total net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests are presented after net earnings. However, the Company considers the impact of the net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests on earnings before income taxes in order to determine the amount of pre-tax earnings on which the Company must determine its tax expense. In addition, distributions from the partnerships are made to both the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries and the partners on a pre-tax basis. Physician Services On July 16, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of Sheridan Healthcare (“Sheridan”). Sheridan is a national provider of multi-specialty physician and administrative services to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and other healthcare facilities. Sheridan focuses on delivering comprehensive physician services, primarily in the areas of anesthesiology, children's services, radiology and emergency medicine to healthcare facilities. Through its contracts with healthcare facilities, Sheridan is authorized to bill and collect charges for fee for service medical services rendered by its healthcare professionals and employees in exchange for the provision of services to the patients of these facilities. Contract revenue is earned directly from hospital customers through a variety of payment arrangements that are established when payments from third-party payors are inadequate to support the costs of providing the services required under the contract. Sheridan also provides physician services and manages office-based practices in the areas of gynecology, obstetrics and perinatology. The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Sheridan and its wholly-owned subsidiaries along with the accounts of affiliated professional corporations (“PCs”) with which Sheridan currently has management arrangements. Sheridan's agreements with these PCs provide that the term of the arrangements is permanent, subject only to termination by the Company, except in the case of gross negligence, fraud or bankruptcy of the Company. These arrangements are captive in nature as a majority of the outstanding voting equity instruments of the PCs are owned by nominee shareholders appointed at the sole discretion of the Company. The Company has a contractual right to transfer the ownership of the PCs at any time to any person it designates as the nominee shareholder. The Company has the right to receive income, both as ongoing fees and as proceeds from the sale of its interest in the PCs, in an amount that fluctuates based on the performance of the PCs and the change in the fair value of the Company’s interest in the PCs. The Company has exclusive responsibility for the provision of all non-medical services required for the day-to-day operation and management of the PCs and establishes the guidelines for the employment and compensation of the physicians and other employees of the PCs. In addition, the agreements provide that the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase, or to designate a person(s) to purchase, the stock of the PCs for a nominal amount. Separately, in its sole discretion, the Company has the right to assign its interest in the management and purchase agreements. Based upon the provisions of these agreements, the Company has determined that the PCs are variable interest entities and that the Company is the primary beneficiary as defined in the accounting guidance for consolidation.
Restricted Cash	Restricted Cash As of September 30, 2014 the Company had $30.3 million of restricted cash and marketable securities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets which is restricted for the purpose of satisfying the obligations of the Company's wholly-owned captive insurance company.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications Certain amounts in the consolidated financial statements and these notes have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Such reclassifications primarily result from the acquisition of Sheridan and the impact of additional discontinued operations as further discussed in note 7.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-08 “Presentation of Financial Statements and Property, Plant and Equipment,” which raised the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation and requires certain new disclosures for individually material disposals that do not meet the new definition of a discontinued operation. The ASU’s intent is to reduce the number of disposals reported as discontinued operations by focusing on strategic shifts that have or will have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results rather than routine disposals that are not a change in the Company’s strategy. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, with earlier adoption permitted. From time to time, the Company will dispose of certain of its entities due to management’s assessment of the Company’s strategy in the market and due to limited growth opportunities at those entities. Historically, these dispositions were classified as discontinued operations and recorded separately from continuing operations. When adopted, this ASU will require the Company to record the results of operations and the associated gain or loss from similar dispositions as a component of continuing operations. The Company does not believe this ASU will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or cash flows. In May 2014, Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” which will eliminate the transaction and industry-specific revenue recognition guidance under current GAAP and replace it with a principle-based approach using the following steps: identify the contract(s) with a customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The guidance in ASU 2014-09 is effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods therein. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company has yet to assess the impact, if any, this ASU will have on the Company's consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Revenue Recognition	Ambulatory Services Ambulatory services revenues consist of billing for the use of the centers’ facilities directly to the patient or third-party payor and, at certain of the Company’s centers (primarily centers that perform gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures), billing for anesthesia services provided by medical professionals employed or contracted by the Company’s centers. Such revenues are recognized when the related surgical procedures are performed. Revenues exclude any amounts billed for physicians’ surgical services, which are billed separately by the physicians to the patient or third-party payor. Revenues from ambulatory services are recognized on the date of service, net of estimated contractual adjustments from third-party medical service payors including Medicare and Medicaid. During each of the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company derived approximately 25% of its ambulatory services revenues from governmental healthcare programs, primarily Medicare and managed Medicare programs. Concentration of credit risk with respect to other payors is limited due to the large number of such payors. Physician Services Physician services revenue primarily consists of fee for service revenue and contract revenue and is derived principally from the provision of physician services to patients of the healthcare facilities the Company serves. Contract revenue represents income earned from the Company's hospital customers to subsidize contract costs when payments from third-party payors are inadequate to support such costs. The Company records revenue at the time services are provided, net of a contractual allowance and a provision for uncollectibles. Revenue less the contractual allowance represents the net revenue expected to be collected from third-party payors (including managed care, commercial and governmental payors such as Medicare and Medicaid) and patients insured by these payors. The Company also recognizes revenue for services provided during the period but are not yet billed. Expected collections are estimated based on fees and negotiated payment rates in the case of third-party payors, the specific benefits provided for under each patients’ healthcare plan, mandated payment rates under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and historical cash collections. The Company's provision for uncollectibles includes its estimate of uncollectible balances due from uninsured patients, uncollectible co-pay and deductible balances due from insured patients and special charges, if any, for uncollectible balances due from managed care, commercial and governmental payors. The Company records net revenue from uninsured patients at its estimated realizable value, which includes a provision for uncollectible balances, based on historical cash collections (net of recoveries)
Accounts Receivable	The Company manages accounts receivable by regularly reviewing its accounts and contracts and by providing appropriate allowances for contractual discounts and uncollectible amounts. Some of the factors considered by management in determining the amount of such allowances are the historical trends of cash collections, contractual and bad debt write-offs, accounts receivable agings, established fee schedules, contracts with payors, changes in payor mix and procedure statistics. Actual collections of accounts receivable in subsequent periods may require changes in the estimated contractual allowance and provision for uncollectibles. The Company tests its allowance for doubtful accounts policy quarterly using a hindsight calculation that utilizes write-off data for all payor classes during the previous 12-month period to estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts at a point in time. The Company also supplements its analysis by comparing cash collections to net patient revenues and monitoring self-pay utilization. In addition, when actual collection percentages differ from expected results, on a contract by contract basis, supplemental detailed reviews of the outstanding accounts receivable balances may be performed by the Company’s billing operations to determine whether there are facts and circumstances existing that may cause a different conclusion as to the estimate of the collectibility of that contract’s accounts receivable from the estimate resulting from using the historical collection experience. Changes in these estimates are charged or credited to the consolidated statements of operations in the period of change. Material changes in estimate may result from unforeseen write-offs of patient or third party accounts receivable, unsuccessful disputes with managed care payors, adverse macro-economic conditions which limit patients’ ability to meet their financial obligations for the care provided by physicians, or broad changes to government regulations that adversely impact reimbursement rates for services provided by the Company. Significant changes in payor mix, business office operations, general economic conditions and health care coverage provided by federal or state governments or private insurers may have a significant impact on the Company’s estimates and significantly affect its results of operations and cash flows.
Acquisitions	The Company accounts for its business combinations under the fundamental requirements of the acquisition method of accounting and under the premise that an acquirer be identified for each business combination. The acquirer is the entity that obtains control of one or more businesses in the business combination and the acquisition date is the date the acquirer achieves control. The assets acquired, liabilities assumed and any noncontrolling interests in the acquired business at the acquisition date are recognized at their fair values as of that date, and the direct costs incurred in connection with the business combination are recorded and expensed separately from the business combination. Acquisitions in which the Company is able to exert significant influence but does not have control are accounted for using the equity method. Equity method investments are initially recorded at cost, unless such investments are a result of the Company entering into a transaction whereby the Company loses control of a previously controlled entity but retains a noncontrolling interest. Such transactions, which result in the deconsolidation of a previously consolidated entity, are measured at fair value.
Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates	Investments in unconsolidated affiliates in which the Company exerts significant influence but does not control or otherwise consolidate are accounted for using the equity method. These investments are included as investments in unconsolidated affiliates in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s share of the profits and losses from these investments is reported in equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. The Company monitors its investments for other-than-temporary impairment by considering factors such as current economic and market conditions and the operating performance of the companies and records reductions in carrying values when necessary.
Earnings per Share	Basic net earnings (loss) attributable to AmSurg Corp. common stockholders, per common share, excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net earnings (loss) attributable to AmSurg Corp. common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net earnings (loss) attributable to AmSurg common stockholders, per common share is computed by dividing net earnings (loss) attributable to AmSurg Corp. common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus any potential dilutive common share equivalents, including shares issuable (1) upon the vesting of restricted stock awards as determined under the treasury stock method and (2) upon conversion of the Company's 5.250% Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock as determined under the if-converted method. For purposes of calculating diluted earnings per share, preferred stock dividends have been subtracted from both net earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to AmSurg Corp. and net earnings (loss) attributable to AmSurg Corp. common shareholders in periods in which utilizing the if-converted method would be anti-dilutive.
Income Taxes	The Company applies recognition thresholds and measurement attributes for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return as it relates to accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. In addition, it is the Company’s policy to recognize interest accrued and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized benefits as income tax expense in its consolidated statement of operations. The Company does not expect significant changes to its tax positions or liability for tax uncertainties during the next 12 months. The Company files a consolidated federal income tax return. Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
Insurance Programs	Insurance Programs Given the nature of the services provided, the Company and its subsidiaries are subject to professional and general liability claims and related lawsuits in the ordinary course of business. The Company maintains professional insurance with third-party insurers generally on a claims-made basis, subject to self-insured retentions, exclusions and other restrictions. A substantial portion of the professional liability loss risks are being provided by a third-party insurer subject to a self-insured retention which is transferred and funded to a captive insurance company. In addition, the captive provides stop loss coverage for the Company’s self-insured employee health program. The assets, liabilities and results of operations of the captive are consolidated in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The liabilities for self-insurance in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets include estimates of the ultimate costs related to both reported claims on an individual and aggregate basis and unreported claims. The Company also obtains professional liability insurance on a claims-made basis from third party insurers for its surgery centers and certain of its owned practices and employed physicians.
Segments	Prior to the Sheridan acquisition, the Company operated its centers as individual components and as one reportable segment. Upon completion of the Sheridan acquisition, the Company operates in primarily two major lines of business - the operation of ambulatory surgery centers and providing multi-specialty outsourced physician services. The Company's ambulatory surgery centers represent individual components that have similar economic characteristics and are aggregated into a single operating segment which the Company refers to as its ambulatory services segment. The Company operates the ambulatory services segment as one reportable business segment, the ownership and operation of ambulatory surgery centers. The Company provides physician services in the following specialties; anesthesia, children’s services, radiology, and emergency medicine services. These specialties are components of the physician services segment which provide healthcare services to hospitals and ambulatory surgery facilities on a fee for service or contract basis that aggregate into one reportable segment. The aggregation of these components into one reportable segment is due to their similar economic characteristics, services and customers. The Company’s operating segment financial information is prepared on an internal management reporting basis that the chief operating decision maker uses to allocate resources and analyze the performance of the operating segments. The chief operating decision maker for the Company is its Chief Executive Officer.